OK all you (us) New Englanders, the parties over. Don't get too used to these 45* days, cause after tomorrow, the frigid air is returning. (Finally). My stoves been off for a couple weeks now, and my oil tank has been (fortunately) dropping slowly. Usually in past winters, (not last year either), I've needed to fill my oil tank in January. Since the coal stove install, I can see the difference. My oil tank is still over 1/2 full. It's a bit temperamental using my Surdiac, but I'm enjoying the learning curve, (thanx to all you responders), and know in the future I can only go up. (I hope). For now, I'll play with this stove for a while. As for the next week of below freezing winter, Bring It On! Enjoy.

I am in northern Wisconsin. We have been enjoying a few 40 degree days. Now the wind is 30 to 40 mph, and the temp is to take a dive to -7 tonight Saturday-Sunday. Monday schools are to be closed because of the wind chill down to -30 below, but beside that my newly install Harman 1 is just humming along at 475 degrees. The baro is working beautiful thanks to the wonderful coal specialist that this forum supports. Presently I get 24 to 30 hour burn at 475 degrees on one 40 lb bag of Blaahak nut and about 1/4 of stove coal. It has taken me a few weeks to understand the problems I've had getting this stove to work. Before this stove, I've used a VC Vigilant 1 with the coal conversion kit. Very different stoves. So Joeq we are with others enjoying mother nature's fury with coal heat. George

Storm wrote: beside that my newly install Harman 1 is just humming along at 475 degrees. The baro is working beautiful thanks to the wonderful coal specialist that this forum supports. Presently I get 24 to 30 hour burn at 475 degrees on one 40 lb bag of Blaahak nut and about 1/4 of stove coal. It has taken me a few weeks to understand the problems I've had getting this stove to work. Before this stove, I've used a VC Vigilant 1 with the coal conversion kit. Very different stoves. So Joeq we are with others enjoying mother nature's fury with coal heat. George

And the happy baro owners keep uniting. Chalk up another 1 for this device. I'm becoming more and more convinced this is the way to go.(Next season). Got a few more cold weeks around here to experiment before the time is over. George, I guess your cold front is blowing this way. Enjoy.

joeq wrote:OK all you (us) New Englanders, the parties over. Don't get too used to these 45* days, cause after tomorrow, the frigid air is returning. (Finally). My stoves been off for a couple weeks now, and my oil tank has been (fortunately) dropping slowly. Usually in past winters, (not last year either), I've needed to fill my oil tank in January. Since the coal stove install, I can see the difference. My oil tank is still over 1/2 full. It's a bit temperamental using my Surdiac, but I'm enjoying the learning curve, (thanx to all you responders), and know in the future I can only go up. (I hope). For now, I'll play with this stove for a while. As for the next week of below freezing winter, Bring It On! Enjoy.

Its so funny how we look forward (in fact thrive) when we see the cold weather coming while the rest of the world dreads it LOL.

Storm back, as my username implies a quiet days without wind or harsh temps is sort of boring to me. I think it's the ideal of being independent from oil,gas,electricity. It's ok if it's there as a backup,but I rather have my coal and wood stove working to keep my family warm. The Amish does it without electricity. I respect them. Their way of life is interesting. I drove a '66 Vw beetle in the winter without not much heat to speak of. So to keep warm I put the night before my drive, I put granite stones on my Vigilant coal stove, wrap them in towels and use them to keep warm in my lovable car. The Amish do it in their horse buggies up here in Wisconsin. George

As I look at my outside thermometer, the temp is almost 50* (and sunny) right now at 11am. I'm having a hard time believing in this arctic transformation by evening. But the meteorologists have been getting better about forecasts these days, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they'll be accurate tonite. Heck, my yard is still covered in snow from the previous dumping, even with the past week of 40+* highs. My stove is cleaned and full of kindling, with the ole Blaschac bags begging to be emptied. Now comes the concern of my woodworking project in my basement this week. I'll be needing to do some staining and shellacking, and because the stove will be running, the furnace won't come on and my basement (forced hot air) temps will plummet like the outside temps. I've posted this problem on this site a while back, and you guys gave me some tips and ideas. I'll probably close all the upstairs registers and ducts off, break one pipe open in the cellar, and turn the furnace on manually, to let the wood stain cure. We'll see what happens. Have a good day all.

My car said 54° today on the way to work around 2:30pm. It's down to 30° and falling!! Can't wait to rev up the DS!! I know these are warm temps for the more northerly folks, but it rarely goes below 0° F here.

Warm here again today, 52 and low tonight is 27. I was very close to letting the stove just burn out, but when it was still going strong after 18 hours I figured it will eventually get cold so I opened the doors on the house again today !